Cloud computing refers generally to the provision of computing resources via a computer network. Common shorthand used for a cloud computing service or an aggregation of existing cloud services is “the cloud.” In a traditional model of computing, data and software are entirely contained in a user's device, which may be a personal computer (PC), for example. In cloud computing, however, the user's device is configured to connect to computing resources via a computer network and, consequently, may contain relatively little hardware, software, or data. For example, the user's device may include an operating system, a network connection, and a network interface application, such as a web browser, to provide access to the network of computing resources, which may include, for example, servers, processors, hard drives, memory, applications, etc., on the cloud. Thus, the user's device may simply serve as an input device and/or display terminal for processes occurring on the cloud.
Cloud computing may also free the user and the user's device from certain hardware and software installation and maintenance tasks due to applications being performed on computing resources residing in the cloud. Further, devices connected to the cloud may be connected to the same pool of data and applications. This allows users to store and access personal files such as music, pictures, videos, and bookmarks or play games or use productivity applications remotely rather than physically carrying around a storage medium, such as a DVD or thumb drive, to access such data and/or applications.
In one example, a user's device may connect to a host of web servers that run user interface software that collects and interprets commands from the user. In response to the commands, the servers may manage some or all of the necessary computing and can store or retrieve information from database or file servers and cause the user's device to display relevant information. Through cloud computing, data across multiple servers distributed throughout various locations can be synchronized and allow for collaborative work on a project or task from any number of user devices connected to the cloud from any location.